Sword Art Online: The Bleed
by johnnylee619
Summary: Yoshio Shin had a traumatizing life. For two years, he had watched everyone he'd known died in the game of S.A.O. Now, no parents, no sibling, no love, his life would go further deep as he discovered new abilities about himself - and others - and it would take him across the world to save what's left...or let it suffer like he did. In the world of gaming, this is no child's play...


_**AN: Bear with me people, there will be references to old games, like Assassin's Creed, along with others, so don't take this as a rip-off or a crossover. I am combining this series with OUR world together, so you will be seeing things that are events in our time, too.**_

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** :: :: Sword Art Online: The Bleed :: ::**

**By johnnlee619**

**Editor: ****************blazethundr23**

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**:: :: Chapter 1: Changed :: ::**

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He had lost everything..._everyone_.

It was just a simple game, where he and his family would just enjoy their newest, revolutionized, virtual reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game (V.R.M.M.O.R.P.G.) known as _Sword Art Online_. It was created and developed by Kayaba Akihiko, where the Nerve-Gear was used as the game's console. The Nerve-Gear was a virtual reality helmet that stimulates the user's five senses through their brain. Once put it on and turn on the game...everything changes.

_Literally_, cause nothing went according to plan that he expect it.

It turns out that instead of an role-playing game, it became a _death-game_. It was a trap, by their one-and-only creator, _Kayaba Akihiko_. His motives were unknown, but his intention was that the players could not log out of the game, and that if they were to die _here_...they die in _reality_. Their in-game-death would trigger the Nerve-Gear to fry their brains up to nothingness.

_So the game has changed..._

Once the news was heard, chaos erupted. Some lost their sanity, others committed suicide, and some ran and fought for their own lives, without a care for others...

Still, despite their hopeless situation, there were some and many that would be willing to fight for their freedom back. In order to get out of the game, they must go through 100 floors in the giant floating castle, _Aincrad_ - the main setting of the game - and beat the final boss.

For the pass two years, to the point of November 7, 2024, _four thousand_ lives were lost, and over _six thousand_ were saved. It was heartache, dreadful, and insane. When he had woken up in a hospital bed on that day, looking skinnier than he was, he'd realized that someone had _beaten_ the game. He was free...but couldn't help but to questioned how he should go on with his life? What is there to live for, now that all was lost to him? Could he keep his family's promise, or should he just put himself out of his misery?

None of it matter to him anymore, all he could do was to take a leap of faith, go with the flow, see where the wind takes him and where the wind will land him.

At least he was going to give it a _try_...

Today was June 13 of 2025, and he, _Yoshio Shin_, had been living through his new, pitiful life since the day he had been released from the infamous game.

How long could he still hold the past...?

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The clock moved slowly away from 3:27 PM - three minutes left before the school ends for the weekend. Yoshio seemed excited...so he could go back to his Uncle's home and lock himself in the room all day doing whatever he pleased or what is necessary. Today was Wednesday, so he has his usual therapy session like all other students who were in the S.A.O incident. The school he was in was a program for the survivors. It was Government's order and mandatory for the health of the students' mind. However, Yoshio believed it was more of a test project to see how their minds worked after the horrific event, and he wasn't the only one seeing the obvious, but as long as they were safe and fixed by the time they all graduated, they weren't complaining.

While Doctor Conner, the English-therapy, was out in the other room to collect some printed paper work, Yoshio waited patiently for the bell to ring. It had been half-an-hour since their session started, and all the boring talks and answering questions didn't seem to be helpful at all to him.

_How is any of this ever going to help, seriously?_

After all these months, he had come to the conclusion that he was never going to get anywhere with this ridiculous therapy.

Suddenly, the door opened and Doctor Conner walked in. The blond man's face was straight and bony, with wrinkles revealing him at the age of 30. He had done his job - the same job - for a long time now, so his expression had always been stoic to everyone, "Listen, Yoshio, I just got a call to a meeting, so I need to end the session a little early today if that's okay with you?"

Said boy looked up at the clock again, showing 3:39 PM.

_Odd, it's only a minute left, why tell me to end it "early" if it's already about to be over?_

"Uhhh, you do realized we have about half a second left before school's over, right?" he commented.

Questioning himself, the Doctor checked his watch, "Hmmm, it seems my watch was set up _wrong_, but that doesn't matter, you can leave now." The sixteen year old picked up his bag and walked out the door, but before he could, "I'll see you next week, Yoshio," Conner added.

"Sure..." he replied, and left the room in fast pace.

Once gone, the Doctor's phone rang on his desk, "Yes?" he asked after accepting the call. Conversation were in between Conner and the man on the other side of the line, each replied came with a nod and a "yes" from Conner, "The boy is still having psychological trouble, being the only one to survive without his family left out of 6,163 players can be quite traumatizing...and unfair. Yes, I know I'm taking it slow- wait, what? Next week? That soon...? I don't think he's ready to- yes, yes, I remember the deal...just promise me their _safe_...fine, I'll report the result after the test." Hanging up, the Doctor laid his head on the table, while creasing the picture of his two children; one older son and one young daughter. Both _players_ of Sword Art Online.

Their brains' were damaged after the game cleared. In theory, it was possible that the two were killed in S.A.O. as the game logged everyone one out after the defeat of the final boss, all in the same time. The result had left them in a comma, while the Nerve Gears were the only thing that was keeping them alive. The game was deleted after the completion, so to say, where their minds are now is a good question.

They weren't the _only_ two though. _Three hundred_ other players had never woken up from their two year sleep as well, so until then, their nightmarish days continued.

"You guys _better_ be right..."

:: ::

The bell had rang in the middle of his walk, where students started storming out of their last class of the week, and making the hallway a huge traffic sight. Luckily, Yoshio managed to make it to his locker before it got over crowded - he never liked that. Judging by his view, the hallway with the red lockers were full of idiots chatting and not moving, whereas others that does the opposite kept crashing into one another. The hallway with the green lockers though, everyone were in motion non-stop, but often kept yielding to one another if they want to avoid hitting each other. Both halls were a crazy intersection. As for himself, he would consider himself "parked", same with everyone else doing the same he was doing.

"Hey, Yoshio," his in-game companion, Jeremy Katsumi, leaned by a locker next to his. The young man was a few inches shorter than Yoshio was, with dark chocolate brown hair which is known to be a Short Richman hairstyle; a little messy, short, shining, smooth, and curve haircut. It was similar to himself, though, but with black color. As for the face, he'd always got this smirky look, either good or just having a neutral feeling. He's not much of a huge impact on Yoshio's life, but good for someone to talk to, "You want to hang out at Sapphire Arcade, or are you going to stay in your room _all_ weekend again?"

"I feel like doing both, can you meet me there at 5:30? I'm going to go home and take a short nap," Yoshio replied.

"Sure." The two walked out of the hallway without being completely suffocated by the crowd. Once outside, Yoshio plopped his hood over his head from the brightening sun. As always, the boy would keep his gloomy face in the shadow. "Hey, I forgot to ask, can you guess what's _behind this card?_" Jeremy asked.

"Oh brother, not _this_ again..." Yoshio grumbled.

"Come on, I know I asked too much, but _PLEASE_, this is just too amazing to avoid!"

"Huhhhh, fine, just so you know, it _hurts_ doing this," he warned. Once the boy nodded, Yoshio began focusing on the back of the card, and with concentration, he began to ignite a visionary skill of his that involved the enhancement of his instinct. In his view, his sight around him were light green, and what he was focusing on, and his objective, were shown clearly on the back of the one card Jeremy was holding. It was highlighted in pure yellow, revealing what kind of card it was through his side and vice-versa. Though, he hasn't had much practice with his newfound sixth-sense before, so it was hard to tell by 100% percent, "Is...it..._eight_ by..._clover_?" he guessed. As he pulled himself back, his eyes began to spin in circle.

"Oh _shit- _okay, okay, now...guess this one." Jeremy pulled out another card, this time, completely colored in black from front to back.

"Dude, no, this thing is killing me here..."

"Well, just think about this as a practice. You'll get better if keep using it," he suggested.

"Okaaayyy..." Yoshio stressed. Again, doing it all over, "It's...it's...a jok-er. _Joker!_" he declared, but felt dizzy and losing balance when pulling back, so he sat down by the bench.

"Whoa, you alright?" asked Jeremy, making sure he didn't push too far.

"Yeah...yeah, just a headache..." the boy answered.

"Man, this is incredible, you got _both_ right! How are you doing this?! It's similar to that _Observer Sense_ from S.A.O." he stated.

"It is actually, I don't know how it was possible, but somehow...I felt like I inherit it from playing the game too long...is that even possible?"

"Well, it _is_ a virtual reality game after all, it's really realistic, your mind must've gotten used to it and absorbed it." Looking at his recover, Jeremy wondered, "Why wouldn't you tell anyone else about is?"

Yoshio didn't know the exact answered, or if it was the right thing to do, he just wanted to be cautious with his newly discovered ability since getting out of that game, "I'm not too sure about this ability, I need to figure it out myself first so I can be sure if it's safe to show to everybody else."

"But you showed _me_," he implied.

"Yes, cause you're the best that I can trust right now, and my limit to people knowing this are two to three, nothing more."

"Ok, I'm flattered, but _how_ is it going so far on figuring out this sixth-sense of yours?"

Yoshio looked away in shamed, "I- uhhh, _haven't_ gotten to it yet..."

"Ah, well, you might as well get more help if that's a good advice." Down at the street, Jeremy's bus had finally arrived, "Well, I'm off, talk to you later," he waved goodbye before leaving Yoshio to walk home by himself.

"See ya..." he said. His thoughts were in deep motion as he thought of what other abilities he had gained from S.A.O. besides the Observer Sense. It was similar to some old games he had heard of it a long time ago (maybe like, what, fourteen years ago?).

_What was it that they called? Sinking Effect...Absorber Effect...Animus Effect - no that's dumb. _Thinking harder;_ Hmmmm, could it be...B-Bleeding Effect?_

He immediately stopped his pace, raising up his head in his new realization.

_Yes, the Bleeding Effect, that's what they called it._

He eyed his hand before clutching it into a fist.

_That's right, I'm a Bleeder. I've completely changed. __The game has changed me..._

And his taunting memories began running back.

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_**AN: Well, what are your thoughts people? Review, please!**_


End file.
